The ninja girls of Senran Kagura, at least in Shinovi Versus, look as though they’ve had some classical training on how the wars of Ancient China and the Warring States periods were fought. These are the more fun moments of the game, as the longer missions that throw in hordes of damage-soaking ninjas and bears tend to drag on longer than I’d like, nailing combo after combo and slowly watching these elite ninja’s HP bars trickle away. Stories and chapters are broken up into small bite-sized chunks, sometimes barely more than a bit of story exposition and a ninja battle. Once you get to the actual gameplay of Shinovi Versus, it offers a pick-up-and-play style that’s suited for smaller bursts.
I was quite taken aback with the history some of what the shinobi went through and helped cement which ninja academy I felt most in-line with. For every moment of lechery or humor, there’s an equal amount of backstory or plot that tugs at the player’s heart strings. These little side diversions give a little more insight into each of the shinobis’ personalities and help to flesh out their personalities with comedic little one-off skits and missions.ĭespite the abundance of hometown in Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus, the story has times when it can be somber and morose. Homura, one of the playable heroines from the 3DS Burst, now operates as a renegade, outside of the schools for story reasons that are too heart-wrenching to mention here.Įach of the 20-playable shinobi-in-training are playable not only to defend their given schools in a Shinobi Battle Royale, but also with their own story chapters called Shinobi Girl’s Heart. Once you’ve seen all three sides, a fourth ‘school’ opens up: Homura’s Crimson Squad.
This school you choose determines the side of Shinobi Battle Royale you’ll see first, but after the credits roll, you’re free to choose another school at will. But does Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus have the life to be the next great ninja brawler on the Vita, or is it all for show?įrom the onset of Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus, you’re tasked with choosing a school to ally yourself with from the three initially available. If you’re curious to see what these ninja girls are capable over, read on. Those that have strong moral objections to life, as it will be hereby known throughout this review, should divert their gaze to another title. Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus takes places in an alternate world, where the T&A is more than just eye candy and instead embodies life and hometown, something the series’ creator feels very strongly towards.